Beyond all these huge tasks, Congress should halt the federal government’s race to classify documents to avoid public scrutiny — 15.6 million in 2005, nearly double the 2001 number. It should also reverse the grievous harm this administration has done to the Freedom of Information Act by encouraging agencies to reject requests for documents whenever possible. Congress should curtail F.B.I. spying on nonviolent antiwar groups and revisit parts of the Patriot Act that allow this practice.
The United States should apologize to a Canadian citizen and a German citizen, both innocent, who were kidnapped and tortured by American agents.
Oh yes, and it is time to close the Guantánamo camp. It is a despicable symbol of the abuses committed by this administration (with Congress’s complicity) in the name of fighting terrorism.
My Dot-Green Future Is Finally Arriving - Bruce Sterling Op-Ed in the WaPo.
lunar eclipse now! well totals over but it wasnt dark then. still weird.
Good weekend for medieval buffs. A new BBC Robin Hood series debuts tonight, and Sunday the History Channel has a highly-touted documentary on the Dark Ages. Robin is an evergreen, still inspiring new treatments after 800 years. One of the best recent ones is on TCM at 6:00 tonight: The 1938 Eroll Flynn version. Widely regarded as the epitome of Hollywood action-adventure costume pictures, if you haven’t seen it, it’s a must.
US Consumers Confused by HDTV
WSJ via AZCentral
WSJ via AZCentral
Anyone who thinks consumers understand high-definition television should consider a recent survey by Leichtman Research Group.
It concluded that close to one-half of the 24 million households with HDTVs don't actually watch high-definition programs because they haven't obtained the necessary hardware from their cable, phone or satellite operators.
And about one half of those viewers - about six million - don't even realize they're not watching HDTV. Bruce Leichtman, the market research firm's president, figures the confusion is partly because the consumers spend so much money on the set they can't believe they're not getting what they paid for. "This is cognitive dissonance," he says.
pbs's the news hour (ch 13 in ny) has a piece on digital tv tonight.
light it up
What followed was riveting theater, with Kerry coldly staring down a clearly-nervous Fox and Bush's nominee withstanding a barrage of questions from Kerry that the Massachusetts Senator nicely referred to as questions of Fox's "judgment" while many of us would have just flat-out called him a scumbag.
can you hear me now?
paula's but rub
ham salad and pimento cheese spread recipe. i have never heard of cream-cheese in pimento cheese. i like to use two kinds of shredded sharp cheddar (like vermont sharp white and some thing else orange) and mayo to taste. indeed you rarely find pimento cheese served up here in yankee land. make your own at home, its easy.
ham salad and pimento cheese spread recipe. i have never heard of cream-cheese in pimento cheese. i like to use two kinds of shredded sharp cheddar (like vermont sharp white and some thing else orange) and mayo to taste. indeed you rarely find pimento cheese served up here in yankee land. make your own at home, its easy.
WTFBBQ?
The BBC really didn't have a reporter on the scene, so they had this woman superimposed over a slightly old feed from the scene, and now they are embarrassed to admit it? I mean, that's it, right?
Or I guess the video could be doctored.
The BBC's response is that of course there is no conspiracy, but unfortunately we've lost all our footage from that day so we can't say why we reported that WTC7 had fallen 20 minutes before it fell.
The BBC really didn't have a reporter on the scene, so they had this woman superimposed over a slightly old feed from the scene, and now they are embarrassed to admit it? I mean, that's it, right?
Or I guess the video could be doctored.
The BBC's response is that of course there is no conspiracy, but unfortunately we've lost all our footage from that day so we can't say why we reported that WTC7 had fallen 20 minutes before it fell.
A Picasso show, recently at the Whitney, is now at SFMOMA. Anyone see it in NYC?
Sony's Internet Video Link Anchors BRAVIA Line
From the article:
I'm not sure that crappy, low res internet video will be compelling on an HD television set. Also, there's no mention of a hard disk. In the US market HD content is going to need caching on disk. We're not like S. Korea with their 100 Mbps internet. Akimbo and Apple TV seem more like the right kind of "internet TV" devices for the average U.S. consumer.
From the article:
The linchpin to Sony's video strategy is the Bravia Internet Video Link. When connected to the back of a compatible Sony TV, the device will allow it to receive video programming from a number of online services, including AOL, Yahoo! and Grouper, as well as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony BMG Music, for free. RSS feeds are also supported. Video sharing services, such as YouTube, Revver, or Soapbox, were not mentioned, although a Sony spokesman said the company was in discussions with sites "like" YouTube.
"Stay tuned," he said.
The Internet Video Link will begin selling in July for about $300, Sony said.
I'm not sure that crappy, low res internet video will be compelling on an HD television set. Also, there's no mention of a hard disk. In the US market HD content is going to need caching on disk. We're not like S. Korea with their 100 Mbps internet. Akimbo and Apple TV seem more like the right kind of "internet TV" devices for the average U.S. consumer.
Get Skinny #5: well I failed the 9 day-er, made it 5 hours short of 6.....just had to eat.....had peanut butter and celery, califlower and chick peas, and whole wheat italian crackers.....
Soon Liver Flush Two for March, and than The Master Cleanse Two in April hopefully for at least 8 days....
Than May to August I am gonna Get Fat again:>)
Soon Liver Flush Two for March, and than The Master Cleanse Two in April hopefully for at least 8 days....
Than May to August I am gonna Get Fat again:>)
Sony Plans Cheaper Blu-ray Disc Player
Smaller, better, cheaper -- and undermines reason to buy PS3.
Smaller, better, cheaper -- and undermines reason to buy PS3.
Apple TV launch delayed until March I just realized the Apple TV gizmo has a 40 Gbyte disk. That's less than two Blue-ray Discs. And half the capacity of the biggest iPod. I guess they're assuming that a PC computer on the network will serve as the bulk storage.
Damn, the first episode I missed of Lost looks great--YouTube has a backwards version of the "brainwashing scene"--Jim, any luck pry1ng it lo0se?
